Saturday, 28 April 2018

Chuck asked us to write about the complexities about being a super hero. I thought this would be a good back door way of looking at it... or would it?

enjoy

Super
Heroes Anonymous – Group One

Second Session

Members:

Superman

Ironman

Wonder
Woman

The
Thing

Spiderman

Batman

Today’s
Session:

For
the first half hour, none of them wanted to talk about how their status in life
had affect their personal lives.

I stayed quiet, but then, Spiderman started
talking about how it all it took was being bitten by a radioactive spider and
the effects from that which took him down a path he felt he couldn’t return –
he gave me a concerned look saying: ‘I could have gone in a completely different
direction! I could have killed people instead of being a good guy. But I think
being on the side of good is harder than the public think.’ His mask hid his
tears, but I could hear his sadness.

Batman
groaned, ‘Grow up. My parents were killed when I was a child. I swore to be on
the side of good and to bring justice to the suffering of all in the city! The
Mayor is on my side.’ He stood up and folded his arms (he does this in every
session; we all tend to ignore him now until he sits down and says something
useful – unfortunately, he never does). He sat down and started brooding.

Wonder
Woman looks around, ‘Why am I the only woman here?’

I look
at the list on my clipboard, ‘Because you don’t get along with the other female
superheroes in the second group.’

‘Oh. I
see.’ She nodded, ‘I don’t pick the fights.’

I
smiled, ‘I know. Is there anything you’d like to add?’

‘I do
wish I wasn’t always stronger than the men I’m attracted to.’ She sighed, ‘It’s
a real turn-off. And why is it I’m always fighting greasy warlords or ... my
alter-ego is being kidnapped?’ she looked up at me, ‘It’s a sexist thing, isn’t
it? Kidnap the woman and think that she won’t do anything... stupid.’

I stop typing and sit back in the dim light
of my office. These people have been part of their own two split-identity lives
for so long, that they know it’s going to screw them up at some point... and
Wonder Woman said something that... well, I didn’t like right now.

The
Thing sat on the floor – he preferred it because he broke the last chair and I had to pay for
it. He looked around at Wonder Woman, ‘I know what you mean when it comes to
your other life.’

‘How
so?’

His
blue eyes stared at her from the hardened, brick-like surrounds of his ‘skin’, ‘I
have a second life – just like the rest of you – but I’m in love with a lovely
woman, but she has no idea about who I am because she can’t see me.’

Superman
had been observing him, ‘But she sees the real you, right? The man underneath
all that brick?’

The
Thing nodded, ‘Yep, that’s right... well, she does when he’s around physically.’

Ironman
hadn’t sat down with the group today. Last week, he sat with us for a few
minutes, heard us talking and wandered over towards the window and stayed there
for the whole two hours, not saying anything to us. Today, he walked in and took
his place at the window again; but this time, he leaned on the window sill and
watched us.

I
turned, ‘Ironman, would you like to join us today?’

‘Why
would I join you?’

‘We’re
just talking.’ I said.

‘I’m a
super hero and you want me to tell these ones about my weaknesses?’ he looked
around the group, ‘No.’

Wonder
Woman stood and walked to him, ‘It’s got to be grinding on you – you know,
being as open to the public as you are.’

‘I can
tell them to leave me alone.’

Superman
scoffed, ‘No super hero can do what Greta Gabo did. It’s just not possible. We’re
needed too much. They call for us, and we run to their rescue – believe me, I’ve
tried to ignore the cries for help; and it’s torture.’ He frowned, ‘Oh no... I’m
sorry to cut this short, doc, I have to go.’

I
looked up at him, ‘A call for help?’

He
stood smiling, ‘You know how it is...’

He
made it through most of the session – that was good.

Batman
grizzled in his seat, his arms folded, ‘Him and his super hearing.’ He looked
out the window to the sky, ‘I have to wait for...’

The
phone on my desk rang and I picked it up, ‘Hello? Oh, yes sir, he’s here.’ I
turned to Batman, ‘It’s the Mayor, he needs you.’ And right there, I lost my
second one from the group as he raced from the group.

Spiderman
stood, ‘My spidey senses are tingling...’ he sprung onto the wall, ‘I have
to...’ and before I could say anything he aimed one arm out the window and
webbed his way out across the city.

Wonder
Woman, Ironman and The Thing all looked at me and I shrugged, ‘Well, you all
may as well go. It’s a trio now, not a group.’

Wonder
Woman smiled, ‘Thanks for understanding, doc. We’ll be back next week for our
next session – right guys?’

Ironman
shrugged, ‘I guess. And next week, I might say something useful – or at all.’

I sat back from my typewriter. These guys
were going to be tough to work out; given it was my second session – but they
were beginning to open up. I think it’s the secrets that are going to be the
tough things. I won’t push though, that’s the thing with super heroes: the
secrets they hold close; the ones they can’t tell anyone, not even a shrink.

Followers

Follow by Email

About Me

I'm a writer.
I'm a reader.
I'm a collector of books and other things as well.
People say I'm interesting, but I think I'm just an average person looking out into a strange old world with my own ideas of what's going on.
There's other blogs I manage as well... go and have a look and see them if you dare.

The Liebster Award

Other Creepy Stuff by Other Creepy Authors

Flash Fiction

I've been writing a lot of Flash Fiction here lately; and it's been a lot of fun. However, I haven't been writing this alone. I've been working through another blog - Terrible Minds - where the manager there has been setting his followers Flash Fiction Challenges. Chuck Wendig is an author of a few books himself; and he has gotten us all hooked on his once-a-week challenges. So, if you'd like join in with what I'm doing, just go to his blog on WordPress and follow it. It's full of bad language, great advice and lots of laughs, but every Friday, there's the Flash Fiction Challenge he puts up; and that's a lot of fun!

Welcome and Salutations

Well, hello there and welcome to my blog of stories, novellas of the vampire variety and of the impossible. This is something of a dream of mine to share my stories with the world; and how better than to do it through one of the biggest blogging programs (well, getting published through the traditional means isso expensive).So, sit back and enjoy this selection of stories about the undead, aliens and the weird that I hope you enjoy as much I did writing them. And please do leave a comment about which ones you enjoyed the most so I know what kind to write next... and yes, it's a matter of reading these at your own risk of...